The Main Differences Between Linux and Windows-Based Hosting

There are two operating systems that top hosting providers use in their own servers. They are Linux and Windows and although there are some similarities in some aspects; there are also some varied differences as well. Do not worry, I will be talking about them in this article, so do read further to understand both of these popular operating systems in terms of their use in web hosting.

What Are the Differences?

Most of the servers of top web hosting companies typically run on Linux and the reason why that is so is due to the fact that it is more robust in its features. Everything is possible given the fact that Linux is open-source software, which means that you can tweak the source code depending on your needs. This level of flexibility is not normally found on servers that run on Windows.
For instance, only Linux-based servers are able to offer SSH or Secure Shell protocol. However, this is not to say that Windows-based servers do not have tricks up its digital sleeves.
If you are going to utilize ASP, the only way you can do that would be to use the Windows operating system. If you have Microsoft Access, everything will be much smoother across the board if you have an account as it can be integrated seamlessly into the servers.

Security

Although both Linux and Windows servers are basically not too safe, there are clear advantages of one over the other. Linux is a clear winner in this regard and that is solely because Windows machines typically operate in an interconnected state, which makes it more vulnerable to hacks.
Linux, on the other hand, bolsters its security by the fact that it is open-source software, which means that you can study the source code first before implementing it- rendering any changes to the script useless since you will be able to spot this beforehand.

Price

Without a doubt, Linux takes the crown for this one. Again, because Linux is open-source software, that basically means that webmasters can use this free of charge, thus making it possible for them to run servers without additional overhead costs.
In contrast, Windows-based servers would run on operating systems that are licensed by Microsoft. That would mean that you are going to possibly spend hundreds of dollars for you to get a license and on top of that, you might need to spend some additional money if you were to get extra features.

Potential Downsides

The biggest downside of using either operating system is that what programs work for one OS will not work on the other.
For instance, if you are running software that runs specifically on Linux, then you cannot use them on a server that is running on Windows.
For the most part, Linux servers are quite abundant due to the sheer fact that it provides plenty of features and it is quite inexpensive as well. Still, Windows servers do have some tricks up its sleeves.